I'm running out of cliches when it comes to the Maple Leafs' playoff push. After another Tuesday night come-from-behind special, the Leafs live to see another day (how do you like that one?).
If you missed the game, you missed one hell of a goal by the New York Islanders. A real doozy. I've been watching hockey a long, long time and have never seen a goal like the one Rob Davison scored last night. It was probably the ugliest goal I have ever seen in my life. If you missed it, here it is in all its glory.
Ugly eh? I told you so. A hop, skip, jump and a right turn - "in mid air, mind you" - and into the net.
The goal, and how he reacted to it, said a lot about Vesa Toskala. A lesser goalie (ie: Andrew Raycroft) wouldn't have been able to rebound and finish the rest of the contest off strong. Toskala, however, is the real deal. He shook it off, and took the goal for what it was - a complete and utter fluke - and kept the Leafs in the game until they woke up in the third period. He made some big saves, especially a beauty late in the third on Mike Comrie. I have crazy man love for Toskala. He's a true rudey, and has been a bright, shining light in another dark season for Toronto.
Going into the third period down 1-0, I figured this was how the Leafs season would come to an end. At the hands of the Islanders and Wade Dubielewicz again, just like last season (a part of me died last April when Dubie and the Isles beat the Devils on the final day of the regular season - in a bloody shootout to boot - to deny the Leafs a playoff berth).
To add insult to injury, the winning goal was going to be Davison's bouncer, or so I thought. I think it would have been kind of fitting, though, to go down like that, you know? To suffer another heartbreaking defeat in Long Island thanks to a goal that would most certainly serve as a microcosm for a season gone so horribly wrong.
But like Vanessa Williams, the Leafs saved their best for last. Huge shoutouts to my boy Kyle Wellwood who had a monster third period, scoring the tying goal on a beauty deflection while driving hard to the net, and assisting on Pavel Kubina's game-winning power play tally.
Wellwood has taken a lot of heat this year, especially in the blogosphere. I know the gentlemen at He Score, He Shoot! really hate the guy, but I still have faith in the little magician and believe he is an integral piece of the Leafs puzzle going forward.
Until Friday: Toronto Maple Leafs
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4 comments Last one added 4 months ago — Leave a Comment
sam wayland about 1 year ago
i totally agree with ur comment on welly. he's such a smart and talented playmaker, the leafs would be so stupid to let him go. although this team is known for thier stupid trades( i.e brad boyes) they have to keep him, he was so brillint last year and ur right he's more focused now and his skating is gettin stronger. if welly spends his season at the gym workin out instead of in hawii with his girlfriend then he could become the wellwood that everybody loved last season. he's got the magic and the power to use it he's just got to want it more. don't give up on frodo.
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Henri Baribeau 4 months ago
That is something i really feel sad about.In the old days journalists were there to give us the information like who scored,who got hurt and who had a sad happening in life.Today the journalists try to tell us how to like or dislike athletes.
For instance today i would like to know if we any canadian auto driver who is trying to go as far as grand prix racing.I don t want anybody to rate him or her i just want to know who are our top canadian athletes and sport stars
Thanks
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Henri Baribeau 4 months ago
I Always disliked some Toronto maple leafs fans.But it is only because they always had good hockey players ans maybe i would have loved to have a Johny Bower,Wendel Clark or even Mats Sundin in my Montreal Canadian team.I also thank them for giving us Big Frank and the other very pleasant player we had with us not very long ago Mr Doug Guilmour.
And what finally made me almost love the Toronto team is definitly MR"BALLORD who stood up for what he believed in ,especially by doing what hid when our Canadian Major Junior team got cheated in Russia of an honesltly won gold medal.
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Henri Baribeau 4 months ago
Sorry to be bothering but i have one more comment.In general hockey is now a business and a good example of that,is that Montreal Canadians hasbecome a good Hockey School.Good hockey players are sent to Montreal to upgrade their hockey and are sold to other teams as soon as they are ready.Perfect example is John Leclair.He worked hard and when he became good he was benched most of the time.I believe that he became so angry after a while that when he was traded (sold) to the Flyers,he became one of their best scorers and was within the 10 best scorers of NHL for quite a while.
how many teams have the same fonction in the NHL ???
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